Hate speech wide-eyed scaremongering
A guest post by Clint Smith who has actually analysed the effect of the proposed changes and makes comment on the detail of what is proposed.
Social issues
uncategorized
Oppose this new hate speech bill
Hate speech is about to get a lot more criminalised with much stronger penalties. It’s worth going back to what the Royal Commission […]
Let the Mills die
From Kawerau to Nelson to Tiwai Point, our accelerated decline of heavy mass manufacturing factories continues.
Public transport, to complement cycling?
Jenny looks at extending public transport to include cyclists
The America’s Cup is just another spinoff
We need less presumed hold over Team New Zealand, and more encouragement of more spinoff businesses that make their way in the world.
Fear and loathing in cycleland
I am pleased the right have moved on from overtly racist attacks on minorities. But I am bemused by the current level of vitriol that has been thrown at a group who apart from wearing lycra is doing nothing wrong.
Government to issue an apology for the dawn raids
The Government has announced it will publicly apologise for the treatment of Pacific people in the 1970s when they were harassed and discriminated against by the Police because of the place of their birth and the colour of their skin.
Auckland’s Northern Pathway
Last week’s announcement of major changes to the New Zealand Upgrade program in my view was welcome.
National’s culture problem
National’s week from hell is further evidence of a culture problem that will not be easily solved.
Why did ACT reject Lisa Lewis’s membership application?
Two political blogs have asked why ACT turned down Sex worker Lisa Lewis’s application for membership of the party. Here at the Standard we have what we believe is the best answer.
Cummings: Boris is unfit for the job
Former top aide Dominic Cummings has accused UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson of being unfit for the job, and of making constant U-turns, “like a shopping trolley smashing from one side of the aisle to the other”.
Cycling Politics Is Damn Serious Business
Don’t knock local politics until you’ve had to stand up and defend a cycleway in public.
Will the real leader of the Opposition please stand up
Today’s budget debate suggests that the effective leader of the opposition may not be the leader of the National Party.
Ethnic Cleansing and New Zealand
If we want to be a part of retaining our human rights in the world supported by democracy – and stand with those countries who already see the damage of racist ethnic assimilation – we should continue to resist what China is doing in its north-west.
About the public service pay freeze
A few of us on the left have issues with the public service wage freeze announced yesterday. By setting the salary level so low, at $60,000 per annum, the threat is that previous gains for teachers and nurses will be undermined.
Collins’ really bad take on te Tiriti
Last weekend Judith Collins spoke to the Northern Regional Conference of the National Party and gave as crude an analysis of te Tiriti as you can imagine.
The problem with coal
New Zealand is about to enter a transition phase in energy that’s going to affect absolutely everyone.
The Most Blacks
The New Zealand Rugby Union is currently in the process of selling its soul to the devil, in this case a private equity firm called Silver Lake. This made me reflect on what the NZRU is selling.
Biden is serious about climate change
One of the many regretful aspects of the Trump presidency was the United States open hostility to doing anything about climate change. It looks like Joe Biden will do his best to make up for lost time.
Oh Canada! – let us not follow you.
Looking at the vaccination program in NZ, I feel that many people are focusing on the wrong things. The most dangerous period in pandemic life cycle – gaining a sufficient population immunity fast enough to stop the inevitable complacency that allows another wave of infections. Ontario appears to have managed to get a new wave of infection rising as they are trying to run their vaccination program. That is the last thing we need.
Government Control at Air New Zealand
The New Zealand government has just increased its loan to Air New Zealand to a $1.5 billion total, and there’s a catch.
Click bait frenzy
Media has been awash with discussion about Mike Hosking’s recent interaction with Jacinda Ardern. She was invited onto his show, agreed to appear, was grilled on isolation facility beds, and gave responses. End of story you would think.
The biggest grifter
The New York Times is reporting that the Trump Campaign sucked in a whole lot of republican voters by asking for urgent donations but then treating them as regular rather than one off donations unless donors discovered and clicked on a well hidden check box.
What is Socialism – a primer for idiots
Merchant Banker Troy Bowker has accused the Government of engaging in Socialist wealth redistribution ideology by not extending to landlords a state supported loan guarantee scheme and by implementing relatively modest wealth redistribution measures.
Greta Thunberg is now 18
Greta Thunberg is now aged 18. And her activism is still strong.
National Party leadership spill under way
Credible sources indicate that a Chris Penk-Simeon Brown ticket have the numbers for a National Party leadership spill and have started the process. Stand by for developments.
The SIS is worried about foreign interference – so what’s NATO doing in our back yard?
The SIS can’t help itself – it keeps getting involved in our politics, but stays resolutely one-eyed. As Sam Sachdeva of Newsroom reports, […]
Resistance
Chris Trotter recently asked the question about why there isn’t more resistance to the degree of inequality that we face in New Zealand. He’s partially right, we do spend an awfully amount of time arguing with each other about matters of smaller and smaller moment while inequality slides downhill from glacier to avalanche. But intersectionalism isn’t the primary cause of activist cooling.
Ports of Auckland – time for change
Auckland Council has released the Ports of Auckland Independent Health and Safety Report and the recommendations are damning.
National’s leadership problem
Chris Luxon’s maiden speech last week and another example of multiple leaks of details of a caucus meeting highlight how precarious Judith Collins’ tenure as National Party leader is. But does someone have the numbers to replace her?
About Grant Robertson’s bright line tax statement
Media has been abuzz with comment about how last election Grant Robertson has backtracked on a promise on not extending the bright line test. Should politicians stick to their pronouncements no matter what? Or should they change their minds if circumstances demand a change in course?
Doocey is taking the piss
Private member’s bills are an important feature of Parliament. They give all MPs the chance to change the law to address real or perceived issues and problems. So what does National MP Matt Doocey think is the country’s most pressing problem?
The housing crisis and the Government’s response
The Government’s housing policy announcements have been attacked by the right and landlords as being an attack on rights and business, and by elements of the left for being too timid. Which suggests that the announcements are quite well pitched.
The Australian Parliament and Women
To understand how power and misogyny and democracy all flow from the one stinking head, one need look no further than the Australian Parliament right now.
That’s No Moon – It’s A Space Station
Did anyone notice Russia and China signing up to a treaty to form a common base on the moon?
Britain’s tin-ear ’tilt’ to the Indo-Pacific
In its new integrated defence and foreign policy strategy, Britain intends to raise its nuclear warheads on Trident from 180 to 240. What a waste. It also intends to “tilt” to the Indo-Pacific, sending the New HMS Queen Elizabeth aircraft carrier here later in the year to give a message to China. It should read its history.